They don't know how special you are

They don't know what you've done to my heart

They can say anything they want

'Cause they don't know us

It was only the second week of January, but teachers were buckling down hard on students, raving about the importance of N.E.W.T's. The homework load became ever more large and Hermione couldn't help but agree.

She had just finished tutoring Draco for a while in the library before they had to patrol again.

"Your transfiguration is way better." Hermione said as they exited the library.

"All thanks to you." Draco replied shouldering his bag. He sighed. "I have patrol from 5-7, half an hour dinner then quidditch practice from 7:30-8:30."

Things were even more hard for Draco and Hermione as they had head duties, Draco had quidditch and all the stress from N.E.W.T's and the death eater issues.

"I'll see you later." he murmured before kissing her forehead and walking to his designated hallway. She sighed as she watched him go.

When would their world be over with this? With Voldemort? With this hate driven world?

The burdens on Draco Malfoy, the man she know loved, was showing in everything he did. And it pained her to see this.

A week had passed and Draco had dark circles from sleepless nights, his shoulders sagged from exhaustion and his eyes drooped with stress.

"That's it. You need to take a break from quidditch." Hermione said marching up to him when he returned from practice at 9 one night.

Draco groaned. "I'm fine, Mya. Just a little stressed-"

"A little?" Hermione screeched making Draco wince. "You are not a little stressed. You have too much on your shoulders and quidditch is not helping."

"I'm managing okay? I know it's a lot, but it's just till school lets up." Draco assured. Hermione wouldn't give in.

"That's rubbish! Have you seen yourself? You are dead tired! And it's way too much for one person to handle." Hermione glared. "I know you're not sleeping."

"Not straight hours but small snippets of time at night."

"I know. Because I hear you thrashing awake. Then your heavy breathing. Finally your small ones before a little later and you begin gasping again." Hermione said softly. "When I came the first time, you assured me you were fine and told me to sleep. Draco, I'm having rough nights too. I keep getting repeats of Horcrux hunting and all these images of death eaters coming towards me-"

"Hermione. I am fine. And as for the death eaters, they won't touch you." Draco said firmly.

"I don't care if I have to fight them to protect those I love." Hermione sighed. "It's you I'm worried about."

"Don't worry. I promise I'll lay off quidditch for a while as soon as the Slytherin Ravenclaw match is over this Saturday." Draco amended.

"Fine." Hermione huffed. "And then it's you and me in the dorm."

Draco smiled crookedly and Hermione whacked him with a pillow. "Get your mind out of the gutter Mr. Malfoy. I meant studying and possibly other things." Hermione said avoiding his triumphant smirk.

"Until then." he said.


Hermione and Ginny made their way to the stands as the wind roared around them. Hermione surveyed the stands and her eyes narrowed.

"I have a bad feeling about today." she muttered.

"Oh come on, even I admit, Draco isn't that dreadful at flying." Ginny joked as they found a spot.

"I didn't mean it like that." Hermione responded still scanning the area. "Taken to calling him Draco? I think Harry would love that."

"Draco doesn't seem like a total git. I saw him at D.A and Harry told me about the coffee incident. And Harry can't tell me what to do." Ginny shrugged. It was true, the D.A seemed more comfortable around Draco, some actually congratulating him on his accomplishments.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, chasers-Zabini, Nott and Flint. Keeper-Bletchley, beaters-Plow and Harris. Seeker-Malfoy. My, all of them are in quite top shape." the dreamy voice of Luna Lovegood flooded the pitch.

The Slytherin team marched out led by Draco who seemed freezing but calm. Hermione bit her lip as she watched Hooch blow the whistle and the two teams rose into the air.

Ginny was taking notes on both teams. Hermione rolled her eyes. How people were so obsessed with quidditch, she would never know.

"And Ravenclaw chaser Davies, also their captain has the quaffle and oh, just got intercepted in a clean move by Nott of Slytherin. And he makes his way to the keeper and he aims oh! He fakes it and passes it sharply at Zabini who targets the left hoop throws and oh my! Throws it to Flint who swerves around two Ravenclaw chasers and is hit by a bludger before weakly passing to Nott who fakes yet again and dives under the swarm of confused Ravenclaw to pass quickly to Zabini who finally throws it at the hoop and scores! 10-0 for Slytherin!" Luna exclaims. Hermione shook her head trying to comprehend what on earth just happened. Ginny looked confused and a little frustrated as she scribbled down hastily what happened.

The Slytherin house erupted in cheers as Ravenclaw chaser sped towards the Slytherin hoops.

The game continued on and Hermione's paranoia began to die down. It was an entertaining match as the score was now 160-90.

"No sign of the snitch yet." Luna piped up. "But Ravenclaw scores bringing the score to 160-100 Slytherin."

The game began getting faster as Ravenclaw fought with new hope and Slytherin trying to maintain the lead. An hour and a half passed and Hermione was shivering by now.

"Merlin! I think Malfoy has seen the snitch! He's racing towards the sky and I must say, battling against the snow must be more difficult than anything. And Chang is after him but no...oh...Malfoy has it! And Slytherin wins….310-100."

Hermione beamed as Draco flew towards his best friends. She clapped trying to match the rest of the Gryffindor politeness but she was clapping more enthusiastically before she could stop herself. She felt a swell of pride for Draco.

There came a blur as the players made their way down. No. Something was wrong.

"McGonagall!" Hermione began her eyes narrowing at the landing figures.

McGonagall had realized it too as 44 people landed rather than 14. 30 extra people….clad in dark robes…

"Run!" Hermione yelled. Kids broke into hysteria as Ginny and Dean did their best to usher them towards the castle.

"Back to your dorms!" McGonagall exclaimed into her amplified voice.

Hermione disarmed one approaching death eater and stunned him as he advanced on some racing Ravenclaw students. She raced against the wind doing her best to stop the oncoming death eaters.

She spotted Professor Vector racing by probably to call the ministry and help students. Flitwick was fighting a nasty battle, dueling with two death eaters.

She waved away some curses towards an escaping group of Gryffindors and she sucked in a breath as green and red whizzed by her head.

"Hermione!" a voice screamed over the chaos. A blond head was beside her within seconds and his eyes seemed to check her body for any injuries. She grit her teeth as she yanked him out of the way of a green curse, ha wonder which one that was, and disarmed the death eater.

"I'm fine. Draco are you okay?" she asked noticing his limp as he turned and fired spells.

"Just a little twist of the ankle." he mumbled knocking a death eater unconscious. He was still in his quidditch robes as he fought.

"What if someone sees us?" Hermione asked as the defenders began backing up and the death eaters began advancing.

"I don't care. They seem to know anyways. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Draco said forcefully.

"Good." Hermione smiled lightly squeezing his hand. His hand covered hers protectively as someone chortled behind them.

"Lovey comments during a battle?" Blaise asked firing a spell. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Zabini." he muttered as the death eaters suddenly rose in the air on their brooms. They spread out to reveal a message in the sky.

Voldemort's reign lives. We will avenge his death. Traitors and mudbloods have no place in this world. And neither do our enemies.

The ministry began arriving in a storm and just like that the death eaters were gone.

"We did it Mya." Draco smile wryly squeezing her hand. She squeezed back so relieved that it was over. She looked forward to a nice night with Draco, relaxed.

Ministry members were bustling around trying to give chase. Hermione was just glad it was over. That was one big ambush and it was one that had never happened in Hogwarts history. Aside the war. And like the war, there were severe casualties.

There came an ear splintering cry next to her and she turned in horror to see a death eater remaining who had fired a spell at Draco who lay unconscious on the floor. The ministry began firing spells at the lone death eater but he rose in his broom and flew away. Ministry members were ordered to give chase although it was obvious, the death eaters had won this one.

Hermione gasped as she knelt down to see Draco and there was a large deep gash down his back that was simply oozing blood onto the snow.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione all but shrieked. Blaise was on Draco's other side looking down in horror.

Professors and aurors alike surround them as Pomfrey came over in shock.

They had rushed Draco up to the infirmary as Pomfrey tended to his wounds.

"Miss. Granger I'm sorry to interupt but it is necessary that we speak with you. You are one of the key witnesses as you spotted this intrusion first." an auror said to her. She stared at Draco and refused to acknowledge the auror.

"Miss Granger I must insist. He will be here when you return." the auror continued to pursue.

"And how would you know that? Did you see the cut? No! Now please leave me! I will speak with Harry later." she snapped back grasping Draco's hand. The cut was made from a spell Pomfrey didn't know the cure to, so he would have to heal the muggle way. She shivered to think-if he healed.

"I must insist." the auror said louder. Hermione felt anger and annoyance bubble within her as she spun to glare at the cowering auror.

"Just go Hermione. Save the poor guy cardiac arrest." Blaise prodded Hermione by the shoulder as he entered the infirmary. "I'll watch him." he added softly.

Hermione inhaled deeply before exhaling and glaring at the auror. He led the way to an empty classroom where aurors were milling around talking to students in corners of the classroom and some barking orders to others. There in the center stood Harry sending off some aurors and reminding others.

"Harry you said you got trainees and not pests." Hermione scowled.

"Sorry Mione but this is important. Thank you Harley." he said to the guilty trainee.

Harry led her to a secluded area where they sat on two chairs facing each other.

"Hermione I know this might be difficult under these circumstances but I need you to tell me everything from your point of view as soon as things went downhill." Harry said as Kingsley walked in.

"Hope you don't mind me sitting in on this one." he said in a low throaty deep voice before motioning for Hermione to proceed.

She grit her teeth as she began retelling the horrible events.

"I just knew something was off about today." she finished.

"How?" Kingsley asked with admiration for the girl before him.

"Something felt different. It felt unsafe and like something was out of place." Hermione struggled to explain. Kingsley nodded and rubbed his chin.

They asked her lots of questions about the specifics of everything she had seen.

"Thank you Hermione. I'll er….let you get back to your previous activities however the ministry may have more questions later and of course the Daily Prophet may require some infor." Harry said but Hermione was already out the door.

She rushed back to the hospital ward and burst in not bothering to be quiet. She earned a glare from Madam Pomfrey but she ignored it and sought out Draco.

He still lay limply on his stomach as he was shirtless and there were many bandages wrapped around him. He had lost so much blood. It was still seeping through.

"I don't know what to do. No cure to bleeding spells/cuts work, muggle bandaging isn't helping...this is nothing I've ever seen. He may not live." Pomfrey whispered quite frustrated as she tended to other wounded ministry members and students.

So Draco was bleeding due to an unknown spell and he was dying. Hermione felt like her insides were failing her needs. Like this pain, this hurt inside her, was tearing her out slowly, like a doomful death was racing up her blood stream.

He couldn't be dying. But he was. And she could see it.

She pulled the curtains around and sat down in a chair and watched him as silent tears streamed down her cheeks.


"Come on you haven't eaten a single bite since I brought dinner to you an hour ago." Blaise drawled as he entered the hospital ward. She scowled as she continued gripping Draco's hand.

Hermione was practically living in the hospital ward now. She did her homework and classwork here. She ate little meals here. She only ever left late at night to sleep, for classes and patrol. Nothing else.

Draco hadn't changed at all in 4 days. The emotional toll and worry she was withstanding was killing her too. Slowly, and ever so painfully.

"I'm not hungry." was Hermione's curt reply. Blaise shook his head as he and Theo sat down next to her. They had visited every day and were always chiding her to eat along with Ginny.

"You always say that. Come on, Draco will murder us in our sleep if we don't make sure you are alive to meet him when he does wake up." Theo stressed.

Hermione remained silent. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as it rose in raspy breaths, struggling to keep up with the air he needed.

He was getting bandage changes 9 times a day. Blood just kept leaking. Blood Replenishing potions was what he was living on.

"Hermione when was the last time you went to sleep early?" Blaise asked.

"I don't know." Hermione grumbled still eyeing Draco.

"Go Hermione. Go to bed. Draco will be here tomorrow. He's healing, see even Pomfrey admitted his vitals were stronger." Blaise prodded again.

Hermione refused to budge as she finished off some homework.

Blaise sighed. "At least eat." he motioned at the food. Hermione curtly ignored him and continued on. "I'm wishing you good luck mate. She's stubborn." he muttered before he and Theo stood to leave.

"We did try so we can't be held responsible." Theo added.

And then she was alone with Draco. How did this happen? How could she let this happen? He was right beside her, and she failed to see any danger. She wasn't even able to help him.

Her head fell into her hands as warm tears made their way down her face.

Things for the school were still difficult. If parents were considering pulling out their kids before, now they were finally complying. But when Harry stepped in and gave an announcement on the Daily Prophet advising parents as head auror, that they should keep their kids at Hogwarts as it is one of the safest places he knows, things calmed down.

It didn't stop the fact that everyone was on edge. Students from 1st year to last. Teachers, everyone.

Word got out that Draco Malfoy, head boy was hurt. And that Hermione Granger, head girl couldn't help but stay by his side. Pansy to her utter disgust ran in wanting to "cuddle" with Draco. Luckily, Blaise and Theo were there to tell Pomfrey that if they knew Draco, Pansy would be the first person he refused to see. And that Hermione would be the first he did want to see.

Fear overcame her as endless questions entered her mind. What if he didn't make it? What if, this was it? A few months together was all she would get. If a few months ago, someone told her she would be crying over Draco Malfoy's life, she would have reported them to the mental ward. She would have never thought herself ever being in love with a slimy, cheating, arrogant ferret. But now, oh how things were so different.

He was kind. She had seen that every time he consoled her and helped her get over her past.

He was scared. Of what he almost became, the past that haunted him and the things that he had done and seen.

He was loving. Every kiss they shared, every little moment, every grand gesture, every I love you.

What started as an ordinary day, a normal quidditch match at Hogwarts turned into the biggest surprise ambush Hogwarts had ever seen. And with one spell, one split moment, everything came crashing down.

Hermione tromped to her Herbology class, her mood the same way it had been since the big ambush. Ginny had tried, Blaise and Theo and they all failed to raise her spirits. She knew Draco wasn't dead-yet. But the whole ambush, the whole deal with how hate driven this world was becoming, was making her more depressed than ever.

The casualties of this ambush was the injuries of over 37 students including Draco and the deaths of 4 aurors, the muggle studies professor and three students two in Ravenclaw and one in Gryffindor. None of whom she knew but attended their funerals. The death rate in Hogwarts was more severe than ever.

And she hoped to God that Draco wouldn't be added to the pile.


She did her best to look less shaken as she headed to the empty Great Hall for the press conference she had been asked to attend by Harry to answer some questions for the public to ease their worry.

"Thank you Mione, this is a big help." Harry whispered as she sat next to him at the big table. She nodded without saying anything. "You know you're going to have to speak during this right?" he joked as everyone filed in.

"Yes Harry. I am not stupid." she snapped.

"Hermione you are a lot of things, but not stupid." he said before welcoming and addressing everyone.

"Mr Potter! Mr Potter! What would you say is the main priority for the Auror Office?" a peppy reported asked.

"Well ever since the downfall of Voldemort, it would still be imprisoning the remainder of his followers." Harry spoke in a clear voice. People flinched at the name even now.

"Mr Shacklebolt! What is one of the strong suggestions you have for the wizarding community in this dark time?" a male reporter asked scratching down hastily.

"Beware of who you see and where you go. Always have an eye out. And go out with another person. Never drop your guard despite the downfall of Voldemort." he responded in a booming voice.

"Miss Granger! Miss Granger would you please describe the attack from your point of view?" the sweet voice of a snarky looking male reporter asked.

"44 people landed from the match rather than 14. I knew something was off. That's when the battle ensued. They just...kept firing spells without mercy. Killing curses, torture curses, everything. The professors did their best to round up the students as did the prefects and heads. Then we fought. Older students and professors alike." Hermione forced out.

"Don't leave any details out please!" the reporter quipped raising an eyebrow.

"Casualties?" he asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"37 wounded, 8 dead." she said through grit teeth.

"Anyone you knew?" he asked stressing knew. Passed tense.

"The professor, none of the aurors or students except Draco Malfoy, head boy." she said grinding her teeth together, dreading every minute of this.

"You knew Draco Malfoy well?" the reporter asked cocking his head pressing the subject. "Familiar? Or weren't you enemies? How would you describe him as you knew him?"

"He's not dead!" Hermione screamed before getting up, fury in her eyes. She was trying to convince herself the same thing. "Harry, I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore." she apologized.

"It's alright Mione. Thank you for your help." he nodded as she rushed out of the suddenly hot and claustrophobic room.

It had been a week. A week since the big ambush and 2 days since the press conference that was broadcast all over the wizarding world. It included the "Outrageous and Perhaps Flirtatious Defending Outburst from War Heroine Hermione Granger" as Witch Weekly titled it. A whole page dedicated on her outburst and the "Possible Crush for Hermione Granger on Former Death Eater Draco Malfoy?"

Then the "Surprising Outburst from Hermione Granger" from the Daily Prophet. She knew that after the war, she Harry and Ron were practically celebrities in the wizarding community. For their friendship with Harry and being war heroes. Harry being head auror and Ron being a quidditch star. Then Draco Malfoy was also front page famous because of his family name and "Impossibly Human Sexy Looks" deemed from Witch Weekly. Papers called him "The Boy Who had No Choice" on the entire war matter when he had switched sides during the war.

Now she sat cursing all the publicity in the hospital ward as she held Draco's limp hand.

"You wouldn't believe the publicity we're getting. Just because I couldn't control my temper." Hermione smiled sadly. Talking to injured people was said to help. "Witch Weekly thinks I have a crush on you." she laughed as tears welled. "I think they're right."

She sniffled as she wiped away tears. "If your in some state, between life and death, please come back to me. Tease me, banter with me, kiss me, whatever you want, just please don't leave me." she murmured watching blood seep slowly from the wound to his bandage. "Just come back." she cried softly.

It was strange, when someone you loved was dying, it made you realize the most absurd things. The love she felt for him, would live on even if he didn't. "Come back to me."

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed it :) Intense chapter :)

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